Essendon Football Club can confirm Angus Monfries will be returning to his home state of South Australia after agreeing to a trade with the Port Adelaide Football Club.

The club would like to thank Angus for his hard work and dedication over his past eight seasons at the Bombers.

Senior coach James Hird said the Club had put a significant offer in front of Angus in a bid to keep him at Windy Hill.

“Angus has been a fantastic player for the Essendon Football Club, and it’s always sad to see a player of his calibre leave,” said Hird.

“At the end of the day, Angus had an offer in front of him that we believe truly reflected his position at Essendon, but he has made a decision to secure his financial future and we have to respect that.”

“We thank Angus for all his hard work over the years, and we wish him all the best for the next chapter in his career.”

Drafted with the club’s first round selection (number 14 overall) at the 2004 National Draft, Angus leaves Essendon with 150 games and 165 goals next to his name.

Despite Angus being a restricted free agent, the Club was able to negotiate with Port Adelaide to receive selection 48 in the AFL Draft.